If a tooth’s root canal becomes infected, it may lead to serious dental problems, including tooth and bone loss. In order to treat serious tooth infections, dentists may recommend root canal therapy. This treatment can keep you from losing a tooth, but it can’t restore tissue that’s been lost to decay. If you’ve recently undergone root canal therapy, your dentist may suggest that you get a dental crown to ensure the future health of your teeth.
To understand why people sometimes need dental crowns, it’s important to know why root canal therapy results in oral tissue loss.
Root Canal Therapy Involves The Following:
- Much like a cavity filling procedure, tissue is removed from and around the tooth. This involves the removal of any diseased tissue inside and around the cavity. Once a cavity has reached the root canal system (aka pulp) of a tooth, a large portion of the tooth will have already been compromised.
- Once the dentist has reached the tooth’s roots, the infected dental pulp is removed and the root canal system is treated with disinfectant.
- After a root canal treatment, the tooth and its surrounding tissues will be different from what they were before. Many of the tissues integral for the health of your tooth will have been removed. Dental crowns are therefore often necessary to restore and protect the tooth as much as possible from future fracture.
Dental fillings, inlays, and onlays are effective methods of replacing lost tooth tissue, but they can only fill in gaps in teeth that are strong and otherwise healthy. Root canal therapy tends to weaken teeth to the point where it needs to both be filled and protected on the exterior. Dental pulp is responsible for generating new, healthy tissues within teeth, so when it’s removed, your teeth may not receive the support it needs. When this happens, dental crowns are the answer.
Dental Crowns Provide:
- Protection
By capping a tooth’s natural crown, dental crowns can protect a tooth from stress, injury, and abrasion.
- Structural Support
Dental crowns fill lost tissue and serve as the tooth’s outer layer. Crowns can restore structure to a tooth that may otherwise be too weak to function on its own.
- Tooth Preservation
The alternative to crownwork is extraction and replacement. A crown gives patients an opportunity to preserve their natural teeth, rather than replace them with bridges or dental implants.
- Durability
Porcelain dental crowns can last at least five years or more without replacement. With proper brushing and flossing, porcelain crowns can maintain your teeth for years.
- Attractive Appearance
Porcelain is a dentist’s most effective tool in mimicking the shape and colour of natural teeth. And because porcelain crowns are stain resistant, your teeth will continue to shine for years to come.
Forest Hill Family Dental
Forest Hill Family Dental offers dental implants in Kitchener/Waterloo. We provide general and cosmetic dentistry services and promise to provide honest, individualised treatment at fair prices. Our staff is here to ensure a pleasant experience during your visit to our office. Contact us today for any and all dental concerns.